LandLocked Salmon

[slider]

I agree with stick all is good Chaos, But I know how u feel and look at things here in Jersey also...I go back a long long ways to the days when Wawayanda was still owned by the Zinc Co..Only about 15 or 16 boats for rent there and that was it, like being on ur own private lake,Then along comes progress and Green Acres buys the Lake back around 64..Next comes stocking of trout..Well the bass and pickerel fishing prior too was out of this word, but trout seemed to take and 3, 4, 5 and even bigger trout showed up, every one and his uncle started fishing there..Rest is history..It was for the good of the state but for us young guys it was like our private wilderness was destroyed..Hardly ever fish there any more...I guess what I'm trying to say..Progess isn't always good for every individual..But if nothing ventured nothing gained..I don't want to get carried away cause I'd be here for hours just on what I've seen both good and bad in over 60 years of fishing both NJ and NY..Hang in there..One tip, diversify ur fishing habits, mite just surprise your self...Slider

[ChaosStarter]

If I catch a 12" LL there, can I use it for live lining?

[UglyStick]

As long as it isn't during the catch and release period... smart @ss...

[FASTEDDIE29]

Very small diverse state we have here. The best stocking program around. The more species the merrier. LL pull like monsters, love em, although I haven't caught 1 in NJ yet. I say load em up, they're sticking with it so NJFG must be onto something.

TIGHT LINEZ!!!!!

[gypsy]

I am very familar with the Landlock Salmon fishery in Lake George, the problem is the forgage fish, smelt is being depleted by the Lake Trout, same as we have in Round Valley, and Merrill Creek. Lake Champlain has an awesome Salmon fishery, the main forage is alewife, they seem to do so much better than the native smelt. Wish they would stock those Salmon in Merrill Creek and Round Valley. Lakers were a good idea in the beginning, but they are eating everything in site. And yes I caught one in Lake George this past July, wasn't a keeper, but couldn't keep the thing in the water, they love to leap. Schroon River has a good run in the spring, but they are in that river year round, also caught them there in the summer, that new fish ladder and dam kinda ruined the trout fishery at Starbuckville. We used to fly fish at night at the old dam and really do well with trout, now you have to find the holes, before the water was deep below the falls, now it's very shallow except where the fish ladder, and main outflow is

[slider]

I doubt Lake Trout are devouring all the smelt in Lake George, neither are they consuming all the alewives in R.V Res. Lake George is not blessed with good spawning creeks and streams. Numerous bad spawns in different spawn cycles has hurt the bait fish population at times there.. I'd bet that the state of NY has used the same strain of salmon for spawning purposes that they have weakened that strain and is no longer a viable fish to stocked and survive in the wild..Lakers in the last 5 years at least to me have increased in size and weight compared to fish of the late 90's and early 2000. Rv unfortuantly must deal with alewives that for some unknown reason have massive die offs after spawning which often leaves their population numbers down for several years.. NJ"s other lakes with alewives will probably have the same difficulties in years to come..Hopefully not and these new LL salmon can survive, I have my doubts that will happen even though I hope they take hold..

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by slider

I doubt Lake Trout are devouring all the smelt in Lake George, neither are they consuming all the alewives in R.V Res. Lake George is not blessed with good spawning creeks and streams. Numerous bad spawns in different spawn cycles has hurt the bait fish population at times there.. I'd bet that the state of NY has used the same strain of salmon for spawning purposes that they have weakened that strain and is no longer a viable fish to stocked and survive in the wild..Lakers in the last 5 years at least to me have increased in size and weight compared to fish of the late 90's and early 2000. Rv unfortuantly must deal with alewives that for some unknown reason have massive die offs after spawning which often leaves their population numbers down for several years.. NJ"s other lakes with alewives will probably have the same difficulties in years to come..Hopefully not and these new LL salmon can survive, I have my doubts that will happen even though I hope they take hold..

Interesting,,, I wonder if some NJ lakes are simply too small to have self sustaining , stable alewife populations??. Not sure they can endure an environmental fluctuation that may kill much of the planton etc... Here in NY I often read massive schools of sawbellies on my FF.. They are sometimes in over 200 FOW... Remember these are herring, and like cold water... Its only a theory, but I wonder if the much smaller NJ lakes would be able to support a steady population.. Maybe thats why some predators do better than others in NJ.. They have a broader forage base.. I dunno, just making conversation. Salmonids in lakes need a lot of hi calorie forage.

Yu guys are right btw, lakers eat EVERYTHING.. they are notorious for eating hatchery fish while they are being released...

We have a lake called keuka thats loaded with lakers.. If you're a good jigger, 50 a day is not unheard of,,, They are on the smaller side, avg 2-4 lbs..when you check the bottom with your graph,as well as the mid and upper depths, all you see are lakers.. Its big news when someone reads a school of sawbellies in Keuka.. The lakers have eaten them all... Matter of fact NYS DEC this year has upped the limit of lakers to 5 fish a day in that lake.. Problem is, they suck to eat!,,,, bob

[slider]

I wonder the same thing Bob, Lets face it Jersey is a small state, We don't have any real big bodies of freshwater..The ones we have are already established with their own species of cold and warm water fish...As was mentioned earlier it would fit into a small nitch of water..Probably be tough for the salmon to take hold and grow with little baitfish to establish good growth rate..Good subject to kick around, nothing ventured nothing gained,,Jersey been trying to get sea run browns established for years, maybe mother nature will smile down on our F&G...The one I doubt will take off is the stocking of a couple thousand Lake Trout in Monksville the last few years..

[CarterB]

I have fished for landlocked salmon and brook trout for years at Mooselookmeguntic Lake in upper Maine. Always right after ice out and always on the surface with streamer flies, (no or very little weights) and am most successful.
How about such at Lake Waywayanda? Anyone with success using surface streamers? What time/s of year?

I don't like using lead line or weights to go deep. Takes the fun out of fly fishing.

CarterB

[Chrisper4694]

trolled flat wing flies on the first 5' of surface a few winters ago with good success. sometimes they're deeper, depends on the sun, wind, etc. will mark them and all the bait at 30' sometimes for example and thats where you have to fish to have a chance. your best bet is probably an overcast day in winter before or after ice while the water is still cold with maybe just enough wind to put a ripple on the surface to break up what little light there is. i also wouldn't be surprised if they bit good on moon lit nights, but i've never tried it.